Truth
by Nelarun
Summary: And following Sakumo's death he clung to silence and to the facade of loyalty and vowed, under the Sannin's watchful gaze, to never make his father's mistake (but to try to make him proud). Sannin!Orochimaru, Little!Kakashi. A Twisted Truths Tale.


**Truth**  
 **A Twisted Truths Tale**  
 **By Nelarun**  
 **Naruto (c) Kishimoto**

 **A/N** : It should be noted that while this does follow on from **Orders** , it can stand alone just as well, hence why I've posted as a separate story.

* * *

Silence, wretched silence. Blessed silence? Silence.

Minato-sensei had long since given up the idea that Kakashi would chat and play with his summons after training, the boy dismissing his ninken and silently leaving or continuing to train after their allotted time.  
Kakashi's neighbours had long given up on the boy ever talking to them again – he was barely home for a start, and Kakashi was planning on moving into a Chuunin apartment complex anyway.

 _Socialising was for those who didn't train enough._

 **へ**

Kakashi's ninken were concerned, but also not, as they snuggled under the covers with the boy.

They _understood_ even when he didn't say anything to them.

 **の**

Uzumaki Kushina and Uchiha Mikoto – _his_ former students – had their own issues to worry about (like the war and marriage contracts) and while they did check in on him occasionally they didn't pry... While part of him missed them, he told himself that their goodwill was wasted on him.

( _Really? He didn't want them tainted by association_ ).

 **へ**

Tsunade and Jiraiya had tried to tell Kakashi that his father had been a damned hero for what he did and not a criminal. But if that were true, then why had so many Konoha-nin died because of _his_ inaction? He had taken to avoiding them whenever they were in village.

...which unfortunately required more skill than any were entirely comfortable with him showing...

 **の**

Perhaps he'd run away instead?

The village didn't mean anything to him really – just a place where he was hated. Hated? No. He wasn't hated. That would require emotions, _strong_ feelings. He was watched certainly, but that was because he was _his_ child. They were _wary_ , they were _cautious_ , they were _hurt_ , _confused_ , _petty_ , but they did not _hate_.

Still...

 **も**

He had kin in other parts of the world. Samurai. Hahaue had been onnabugeisha. Perhaps her family would take him in? Or there were Hatake in Iron who had turned from their Shinobi origins. They did it, Kakashi could do it too. But looking at his ninken he knew that he couldn't. He was shinobi trained, he had the shinobi mindset and that was all there was to it. But Kumo?

At the settling of Konoha, the Hatake had been vassals to the Uchiha, they had followed their Masters, turning down an offer from the Northmen who were setting up a city friendly to those who practised the lightning arts. They would take him in. They would welcome him with open arms. _They would welcome him_.

 **へ**

Orochimaru sat beside the boy who was staring into the forest, looking towards the border and beyond, where Kumo lay, a pack at his feet. "I wouldn't. Sensei doesn't like talented little boys running off."

"Even if the village caused their parents deaths?"

"Especially when the village caused their parents deaths," Orochimaru said and Kakashi looked up at him. Orochimaru-ji had been a good friend to _him_ , all the Sannin had but while Kakashi had been angry with Tsunade and Jiraiya for trying to comfort him and saying that _he_ wasn't wrong in his actions (if they _truly_ believed that, then why had they not defended _him_? Why had they stood to the side and watched?), Orochimaru had simply shrugged and told him to get over it. That sentiment was what made Orochimaru welcome by Kakashi's side. "Oh, you think it mere coincidence that the majority of the genius or prodigious brats in the village are orphans?" Kakashi cast his mind over the village and swallowed as he realised that what the man was saying was true. Sensei's generation, Orochimaru's generation... Kakashi was perhaps the first of his generation but he was under no illusion that he was to be the only one. There were too many who were too talented, possibly swayed by parents, possibly have the issue of family before village.

Before _Kage_.

Of course many of these could be attributed to war, but not _all_. Still... "Orochimaru-jisan?" Kakashi looked at him. "What of your parents? Were they not killed in the war?"

"An assassin," Orochimaru shook his head, "stole into the house, slaughtered them and left. Their names were added to the memorial and I was instantly taken into the Hokage's care and informed that they died for their village"

(" _See? Their names are on the memorial_ ").  
Of course the wording was specific.  
 _They died for their village_.

It didn't take long for Kakashi to understand.

'They died _for_ their village' not 'They died _in service to_ their village'.

"The Hokage-"

"I wouldn't say that out loud, little Hatake." Orochimaru said. "The trees have ears hereabouts." Kakashi swallowed his words and nodded. "Your father died for you, Hatake Kakashi. Do not dishonour that sacrifice by doing anything stupid."

And there it was. Kakashi saw the command in Orochimaru's eyes and straightened his spine slightly at the admonishment, at the _order_ :

Be the perfect shinobi,  
Adhere to the rules.  
Do not make the same mistake your father did.  
Do not remind the people of Sakumo.  
Become less.  
Generic skills only.  
White chakra is only an irregularity, not a bloodline.  
But above all:  
 _Be the perfect shinobi_.

Orochimaru placed a hand on Kakashi's back. "Do your duty."

Kakashi nodded and the Sannin was gone.

 **じ**

He turned back to the village, his eyes devoid of emotion. He moved out of the Hatake lands and into the village proper, asking an unusually subdued Kushina to seal the estate so no one could enter it. He trained and he trained and he forgot the legacy of the Hatake – those skills that once had made his clan feared throughout the warring states were lost forever and Kakashi's potential, once limitless, now defined.

 **への**

He became the perfect Konoha Shinobi: loyal, obedient, _mindless_.

 **への**

And when Orochimaru fled, he alone was unsurprised (though he felt betrayed... Orochimaru _should_ have taken him with him. Didn't he realise that Kakashi would be utterly loyal to him? He had told him the truth when everyone else had offered silence).

 **もへじ**

Silence, blessed silence. Wretched silence? Silence.


End file.
